Chapter 17 Book of Revelation

Bible Verses

[1] And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Commentary

V.1 This is the start of the sixth and last thread regarding the seven Angels, and the first angel is therefore again identified with the Sabean religion.

The major concept in this chapter is that the 'great whore' Babylon the Great, the United States, sitteth upon many waters, extending her power over many lands and seas, and yes, coincidently affecting the lives of many native peoples throughout the world.

[2] With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

V.2 The world power, the Great Whore of Babylon, the United States, greatly affected many of the nations of the earth - making their rulers materially rich and their inhabitants spiritually poor as they became enchanted with her material wealth and immoral lifestyle.

Religion has been used by leaders of 'all inhabitants of the earth' to arouse the hysterical emotions of their people. In every country class divisions appear, and cliques are formed, especially by kings and leaders, to maintain their own superiority. This especially relates to the aboriginal people of the world, who were subject to unjust laws and lack of respect by Christians and government leaders. Certain Islamic sects of the African natives also have shown changed 'Laws of God' in their belief that they are superior to the other tribes in Africa. We see thousands of people suffering extreme poverty, now living in camps waiting for relief to come.

Therefore we learn that allegiance to the essential foundation of the divine religions is ever the cause of development and progress, whereas the abandonment and beclouding of that essential reality through blind imitations and adherence to dogmatic beliefs is the cause of a nation's debasement and degradation.

'Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 273

[3] So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

V.3 This beast with the seven heads (the Seven Sisters Oil Companies) and the ten horns (the Ten country Sunni Coalition Rev.13:1) did carry the woman (the Great Whore, Babylon the Great, the United States) into the wilderness and anarchy of the Middle East by providing the oil and energy, and selling it exclusively for American dollars, that permitted The Great Whore to extend her Financial/Military Empire to most of the world.

[4] And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

V.4 The world stood in astonishment at the wealth of the woman. Multi-millions everywhere wished to have to opportunity to move to her shores, and in their own countries they imitated the corruption of her government and the immorality of her lifestyle.

With the power of wealth, prestige, honor and luxury, her rulers have persuaded the governments of the world to act on her behalf.

[5] And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

V.5 The name on her forehead (i.e. being central to her thought and being) was that she was a Mystery and described as an archetype to Babylon The Great. Babylon, which was the capital of the ancient Babylonian Empire and was noted for its wealth, that is for its material wealth, and noted as the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.

The following quote tells about what was considered to be the greatest tragedy to ever befall Israel, even greater than the holocaust that occurred in Germany in WW2. This was written before the restoration of modern Israel.

After the Israelites had advanced along every level of civilization, and had achieved success in the highest possible degree, they began little by little to forget the root-principles of the Mosaic Law and Faith, to busy themselves with rites and ceremonials and to show forth unbecoming conduct... In brief, it was because they forgot the meaning of the Law of God that they became involved in ignorant fanaticism and blameworthy practices such as insurgence and sedition. Their divines, having concluded that all those essential qualifications of humankind set forth in the Holy Book were by then a dead letter, began to think only of furthering their own selfish interests, and afflicted the people by allowing them to sink into the lowest depths of heedlessness and ignorance. And the fruit of their wrong doing was this, that the old-time glory which had endured so long now changed to degradation...The banners of their sovereignty were reversed; the ignorance, foolishness, abasement and self-love of their religious leaders and their scholars were brought to light in the coming of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, who destroyed them. After a general massacre, and the sacking and razing of their houses and even the uprooting of their trees, he took captive whatever remnants his sword had spared and carried them off to Babylon. Seventy years later the descendants of these captives were released and went back to Jerusalem... reestablished in their midst the fundamental principles of the Holy Book, and day by day the Israelites advanced, and the morning-brightness of their earlier ages dawned again. In a short time, however, great dissensions as to belief and conduct broke out anew, and again the one concern of the Jewish doctors became the promotion of their own selfish purposes, and the reforms that had obtained in Ezra's time were changed to perversity and corruption... Finally the warlike Titus, commander of the Roman forces, trampled the Jewish homeland into dust, putting every man to the sword, taking the women and children captive, flattening their houses, tearing out their trees, burning their books, looting their treasures, and reducing Jerusalem and the Temple to an ash heap. After this supreme calamity, the star of Israel's dominion sank away to nothing, and to this day, the remnant of that vanished nation has been scattered to the four winds. "Humiliation and misery were stamped upon them." Our purpose is to show how true religion promotes the civilization and honor, the prosperity and prestige, the learning and advancement of a people once abject, enslaved and ignorant, and how, when it falls into the hands of religious leaders who are foolish and fanatical, it is diverted to the wrong ends, until this greatest of splendors turns into blackest night.

'Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 79

The point of all this is how the present parallels the past and the applicability to the past and present of a single archetype.

'O thou Tyre! O thou Babylon! Boast ye not! The day will come when ye shall find yourselves abased, destroyed, and scattered.' His Holiness, Isaiah, prophesied this.

Misc Baha'i, The Diary of Juliet Thompson

[6] And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

V.6 New religions are often rejected by the established religions, which results in martyrdom of the new believers. The Jews rejected Christ, as they didn't want their religious system changed. The early Christians were treated with disdain, being thrown to the lions, by the Romans, as sport. In the same way, persecution happened to the early believers of the Babi Faith and later to the Baha'is.

Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

King James Bible

Among the Popes there are also some blessed souls who followed in the footsteps of Christ, particularly in the first centuries of the Christian era when temporal things were lacking and the tests of God were severe. But when they came into possession of governmental power, and worldly honor and prosperity were gained, the Papal government entirely forgot Christ and was occupied with temporal power, grandeur, comfort and luxuries. It killed people, opposed the diffusion of learning, tormented the men of science, obstructed the light of knowledge, and gave the order to slay and to pillage. Thousands of souls, men of science and learning, and sinless ones, perished in the prisons of Rome. With all these proceedings and actions, how can the Vicarship of Christ be believed in?

Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 136

Killing seems to be easy for followers of many religions as they believe that they will have a place in Heaven, if they follow the directives of the Mullahs, or priests. John wondered about this with admiration, which is not to say that he liked it, but rather that he was astounded by it.

John 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

King James Bible

Quote from one of the letters written by Baha'u'llah to the leaders of the world while in exile. (Akka 1868):

We behold it [the world], in this day, at the mercy of rulers so drunk with pride that they cannot discern clearly their own best advantage, much less recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this. And whenever any one of them hath striven to improve its condition, his motive hath been his own gain, whether confessedly so or not; and the unworthiness of this motive hath limited his power to heal or to cure.

Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 91

[7] And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

V.7 The archetype can be viewed in many ways. First there is its relationship to the historical period of the Umayyad/Abbasid dynasty that came to control most of Islam and which confronted the Bab.

Secondly there is the 'end of days' application mentioned in V.3.

Thirdly, there are the seven world cultures/religions upon which sits the Whore of Babylon, the profaned world culture and world religion.

It is the power of revelation and the archetypes that all these meanings can coexist simultaneously.

[8] The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

V.8 There are many archetypes involved in this verse and it is completely meaningless/confusing to those whose names are "not written in the book of life". The Book of Life is the guidance of the Holy Spirit given by each of the Manifestations of God, "from the foundation of the world." Those who recognize God and worship Him, their names are written in The Book of Life.

The beginnings of all great religions were pure; but priests, taking possession of the minds of the people, filled them with dogmas and superstitions, so that religion became gradually corrupt.

'Abdu'l-Baha, 'Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 125

Those who do not recognize and listen to the Holy Spirit stand in wonder and confusion at the illusion of this world that seems real "and is not".

This "beast" that was, and is not, and yet is. is really the False Prophet, Science without Religion, that has brought forth from the "bottomless pit" nuclear science and weapons, the Abomination of Desolation that destroyeth the world. The reference to the 'beast that was, and is not, and yet is', parallels the 'abomination of desolation' that shall have its effect in Last Great Battle of Armageddon (was Rev.9:2,18:10-19), but shall be chained for a thousand years (is not Rev.20:22), to be released briefly at the end of the thousand years (and yet is Rev.20:23).

[9] And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

V.9 In one view of the archetype the seven heads are the seven world religions. The 'seven mountains' are a symbol of each man made degenerated institution of each of these seven religions.

[10] And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

V.10 The timing of these kings is from the perspective of John who recorded the Book of Revelation. At his time, the five religions whose clear and correct spiritual influence had passed were those of Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster and Buddha. The one that was current was Christianity, and one that was to come and continue for a short space - Islam.

[11] And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

V.11 The seven kings are the Revealers of the pure religions, Whose religions have now been perverted into the seven heads or the seven mountains (in verse 9 above). An eighth is added to this. This eighth is one of the seven, but split in two, to make the eighth, called the beast. The split which is referred to is the Shia / Sunni split which grew out of Islam.

While other religions have also had their splits, (and some may see it as an archetype for the split in another religion) it is this split after the "Seal of the Prophets", that in the latter days plays a predominant role as the Beast in the Days of Armageddon.

[12] And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

V.12 The ten horns are ten Islamic kingdoms which did not exist at the time when John was writing, but briefly received power 'in the last hour (not a literal hour) of the end of days' as explained fully in Rev.13:1)

[13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

V.13 The intent of the ten Islamic Powers (ten horn/kings) is to strengthen perverted Islam, and while there are many divisions between them, they are of one mind about regarding The Bab and Baha'u'llah, and also Israel.

[14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

V.14 While the power of the Beast may seem very great today, the destiny of what will happen is the Message of the Book of Revelation, and those who work to spread the Message and implement God's Plan are called, and chosen, and faithful.

The Bab is called the Lamb, because He, like Jesus knew His life would be sacrificed. He thus fulfilled His purpose. He truly can be called Lord of lords, and King of kings.

[15] And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

V.15 Who today cannot see that the whore, Babylon the Great, the U.S., sitteth upon great numbers of waters, peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

[16] And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

V.16 Is it not apparent to all that the ten horns, the ten oil kingdoms, hate the whore. Most of those who attacked her central towers and fortress at 9/11 came from Saudi Arabia, supposedly her foremost supporter in the Petro Dollar, and when they take that away it shall indeed eat her flesh and she shall burn with fire.

The ten horns are symbolic of the powers in the Islamic countries who actually preach hate and war (which they call jihad) against the wrong doing of religion and politics ("the whore") of other countries, the leaders of which they identify one as "The Great Satan", and another as "The Little Satan".

Both sides give lip service to Love and Peace, saying "peace, peace, peace", but put all their energies into war rather than raising the spiritual, moral and social standards of themselves and those that they oppose. This great spiritual battle, central to Armageddon, is the identifying activity of "the last days".

"The Pen of the Divine Expounder exhorteth, at this moment, the manifestations of authority and the sources of power, namely the kings and rulers of the earth -- may God assist them -- and enjoineth them to uphold the cause of religion, and to cleave unto it. Religion is, verily, the chief instrument for the establishment of order in the world, and of tranquillity amongst its peoples. The weakening of the pillars of religion hath strengthened the foolish, and emboldened them, and made them more arrogant. Verily I say: The greater the decline of religion, the more grievous the waywardness of the ungodly. This cannot but lead in the end to chaos and confusion. Hear Me, O men of insight, and be warned, ye who are endued with discernment!"

Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 28

[17] For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

V.17 All the enemies of the True Faith, think themselves to be the chosen of God. Their peoples think that they go upon holy war (Jihad) for the benefit of God. No matter what evil motivates the rulers of world, in the end their actions will result in the fulfillment of God's Plan.

God permitted the world to go forward in its folly, without chastisement, until the Faith of Baha'u'llah had been proclaimed, and established, and all will eventually be seen to have worked towards the fulfillment of God's will.

"The Pen of the Divine Expounder exhorteth, at this moment, the manifestations of authority and the sources of power, namely the kings and rulers of the earth -- may God assist them -- and enjoineth them to uphold the cause of religion, and to cleave unto it. Religion is, verily, the chief instrument for the establishment of order in the world, and of tranquillity amongst its peoples. The weakening of the pillars of religion hath strengthened the foolish, and emboldened them, and made them more arrogant. Verily I say: The greater the decline of religion, the more grievous the waywardness of the ungodly. This cannot but lead in the end to chaos and confusion. Hear Me, O men of insight, and be warned, ye who are endued with discernment!"

Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 27

[18] And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

V.18 Although the woman, the whore, Babylon the Great, the U.S.; of which NYC is the epitome, sits upon the beast, the beast shall eventually devour her.

O ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that marketh the pre-eminent character of this Supreme Revelation consisteth in that We have, on the one hand, blotted out from the pages of God's holy Book whatsoever hath been the cause of strife, of malice and mischief amongst the children of men, and have, on the other, laid down the essential prerequisites of concord, of understanding, of complete and enduring unity. Well is it with them that keep My statutes.

Time and again have We admonished Our beloved ones to avoid, nay to flee from, anything whatsoever from which the odour of mischief can be detected. The world is in great turmoil, and the minds of its people are in a state of utter confusion. We entreat the Almighty that He may graciously illuminate them with the glory of His Justice, and enable them to discover that which will be profitable unto them at all times and under all conditions. He, verily is the All-Possessing, the Most High.

Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 93

...crass materialism, ... lays excessive and ever-increasing emphasis on material well-being, forgetful of those things of the spirit on which alone a sure and stable foundation can be laid for human society. It is this same cancerous materialism, born originally in Europe, carried to excess in the North American continent, contaminating the Asiatic peoples and nations, spreading its ominous tentacles to the borders of Africa, and now invading its very heart, which Bahá'u'lláh in unequivocal and emphatic language denounced in His Writings, comparing it to a devouring flame and regarding it as the chief factor in precipitating the dire ordeals and world-shaking crises that must necessarily involve the burning of cities and the spread of terror and consternation in the hearts of men.

Indeed a foretaste of the devastation which this consuming fire will wreak upon the world, and with which it will lay waste the cities of the nations participating in this tragic world-engulfing contest, has been afforded by the last World War, marking the second stage in the global havoc which humanity, forgetful of its God and heedless of the clear warnings uttered by His appointed Messenger for this day, must, alas, inevitably experience.

Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 124